Projects

Memories of Barry

The residents of Golau Caredig, Barry’s new Extra Care Unit, enjoyed a series of reminiscence sessions with poet and artist Francesca Kay last month. Together with Barry Library, Francesca brought archive photographs of Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan to share with the group at their weekly coffee morning. The photographs ranged from beaches filled with holidaymakers; Butlins holiday camp and cable car; the Lilo, dotted with swimmers, sunbathers and ice-cream vendors. Bars and clubs from the 60s and 70s were shown alongside pictures of a deserted Thomas Street, with horse and carriages rather than gleaming cars, in the early 1920s. One lady in particular, who was a remarkable ninety-four years old, remembered a time when the streets were quieter and there were far fewer houses and buildings lining the sandy coastline than there are now.

Francesca Kay

Together with Barry Libraries, the South Wales Initiative (SWLDI) ran the workshop with the hope of allowing the elderly residents of Golau Caredig to partake in story-telling and creative interaction. The poet Francesca Kay worked with small groups and individuals and used their words and phrases as material for a six poems. These poems will then be accompanied by the archive photographs and displayed at Barry Library and Golau Caredig for everyone to see.

We’re looking forward to seeing the finished exhibition, but – in the meantime – here is the wonderful writing that arose from memories of Barry: